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Overview

So, you have your biology major, and then you have your chemistry major, and your biochemistry major, and your molecular biology major, and maybe someday your biochemicalmolecular major, but until then what you have is a Biotechnology major. It’s the best of all four worlds, that is, of course, assuming you believe in a best world when you’re talking about analyzing and figuring out the genetic structure of everything from the human heart to the soybean.


Biotechnology is a new and very, very hot field. Building on the advancements made through molecular biology and biochemistry, biotechnology is centered on the ways we can manipulate and exploit genes (not the faded, slightly tight ones that make you look skinny, but the really tight ones that hang out on chromosomes). You’ll learn about how genes operate and how those operations can be altered. By combining just about every science known to man (chemistry, biology, food science, animal science, earth science, and plant science, for starters) this major is perfect for the student who wants to know how every living thing—everything—works. Whether you dream of spending thousands of hours researching as an academic, or want to help figure out how to clone a monkey’s heart, a Biotechnology major is sure to keep you on your toes with rapid advancements and a world of opportunities to which you can apply your knowledge. (Note: trying to clone yourself in your basement is still illegal, so don’t get any fancy ideas.)

SAMPLE CURRICULUM

  • Animal Cell Culture

  • Applications in Molecular Biology

  • Biotechnology Seminar

  • Botany

  • Cell and Molecular Biology

  • Entomology

  • General Biology

  • Human Heredity

  • Immunology

  • Microbiology

  • Plant Pathology

  • Virology

  • Zoology


HIGH SCHOOl PREPARATION

If you’re interested in studying Biotechnology, it’s important to immerse yourself as fully as possible in all of the sciences available to you in high school. General biology, physics, and chemistry classes are good starting points, as is a deep and solid background in math. If you want to hit the ground running as a Biotechnology major, AP courses in these subjects aren’t optional—they’re a requirement.